As it goes lately, I'm all about quick and easy when it comes to my bead-weaving. I especially love beading projects that are made using quick and easy components -- I set each one aside as I complete it, and then when I have that rare chunk of free time on a Sunday morning or a Saturday afternoon...

Like a lot of bead-weavers I know, I got started making jewelry by learning how to string beads. Once I started learning how to do off-loom bead-weaving, though, I started looking for creative ways to combine my bead stitching with my bead stringing skills. Fifteen years later, I still love finding new...

Brick stitch beading was the very first off-loom bead-weaving stitch that I taught myself how to do, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. While it's not as "glamorous" as peyote stitch, herringbone stitch, or right-angle weave, brick stitch definitely has its place in the...

If you're like me, you've probably got more two-holed seed beads than you know what to do with! For the last couple of years, I've been experimenting with all the ways you can use these incredible little bits of glass, and I'm happy to say that just when I think I've seen it all,...

For most of us, our introduction to beaded ropes came by way of making tubular versions of our favorite off-loom bead-weaving stitches, or by creating a classic spiral rope. There's something incredible about watching a few rounds of bead stitching turn into a fabulous beaded rope. Beaded ropes have...

There used to be a time when I only used leather in my jewelry-making projects as a way to back my bead embroidery. Not anymore! Now that leather jewelry is hitting fashion runways everywhere, I'm indulging in my love of creating jewelry using leather cord, scrap leather, and "licorice"...

I've always thought that chevron stitch is like the Cinderella of the bead-weaving world: you might not think that it looks like much at first glance, but once you see just how many things you can do with this off-loom bead-weaving stitch, you'll find yourself using it for everything! Chevron...

Are you looking to add a little romance to your beading projects? Kelly Wiese, Beadwork magazine Designer Of the Year and author of Beaded Allure , knows how to use seed beads to create elegant, romantic beaded jewelry. Using just a few crystals and pearls, she creates beaded jewelry that is soft, feminine...

As if I can't get enough flat right-angle weave, one of my favorite techniques for making beaded ropes is to use tubular right-angle weave. Most of you know that I love using right-angle weave for necklace and bracelet bases, because it's just so easy to embellish in so many different ways! Learning...

A beautiful seed bead bracelet by Linda Younkman inspired today's blog post. I loved how she finished it with leather snap ends that match the coloring of the beads. It's hard to envision a more perfect clasp for this design. Check out her blog Lindy's Designs for several other leather-inspired...

I don't know what it is that I love about beaded ropes, but when I need a beading project to keep my hands busy during a long trip or when I'm in-between beading projects, beaded ropes are what I do. Beaded ropes are so versatile, they can be used to create beaded necklaces, as an accent for...

There's not a single beader I know who doesn't have a whole drawer full of little bags and boxes of leftover bits and pieces and beads from past beading projects. They just sort of accumulate when we're not paying attention, and pretty soon you find yourself staring at an entire collection...

We all love peyote stitch, and it's the perfect beading stitch for making bold, graphic beaded bracelets. And while the thread path for peyote stitch is one of the best beading stitches for relaxing, meditative beadwork, reading those charted peyote stitch patterns and graphs can quickly turn into...

I can't stop buying little face beads and cabochons. Some of those in my collection are more than five years old and still unused. It's not a lack of ideas that's stopping me. In fact, it's quite the opposite: I have so many ideas that I can't settle on a single one. Should I make...

Thanks to beaders like those of you reading this (no, really -- thank you!), bead-weaving and jewelry making have evolved and been accepted by a much wider audience as fine bead crafts. Look at the artists showing their work in any high-end craft show, and you'll find a healthy selection of artists...